MEDITATE IN NATURE- QUICK TIPS TO KICKSTART YOUR MEDITATION PRACTICE

The outside world is in chaos - we are facing a challenge of a dimension greater than most of us could ever have imagined. The question is; How can we feel peace, light & love in a time when the external world is in chaos? Time is here to go within. To listen, slow down, feel, trust and to #bprsnt

“Not everyone has access to nature, and not everyone knows how to meditate, so I want bring the combination of meditation + nature to anyone who wants to tune in”

— Kjersti Buaas

“Kjerstis tilnærming til meditasjon og å være tilstede i øyeblikket er veldig inspirerende. Hennes “nede-på-jorda”-approach gjør at hun formidler teknikkene på en enkel og tilgjengelig måte - uansett som man har erfaring eller er helt ny til meditasjon og mindfullness. Hun er et levende eksempel på at vi ved pust og fokus kan få enda mer livsglede - og minner oss på at det er de små øyeblikkene med tilstedeværelse som teller. ”

— Kari

“It is light that turns any darkness, suffering, destruction, and pain into awakening, growth, joy, kindness, and love.”

Creating stillness to go within, to slow down, to tune in, to consciously breathe, to #BPRSNT helps us stay more connected to our whole being. Hidden in this relationship resides a divine power and awareness, elemental to unlocking the unique and unyielding potential of personal strength living in all of us 

When we connect with our inner world, we can stand stronger in the outer world, simply because we access the peace that lives within all of us.

These past weeks I have been spending many moments going deeper within, connecting, journaling, slowing down and listening. I have had the opportunity to visit nature, and been enjoying solo-hikes in the forest. On these hikes I have cultivated the feeling of “peace within” and because it’s in my nature to want to share joyful experiences, I have recorded some videos out there. These videos include meditation techniques and tips for how breath work can help in stressful times. They are suitable for beginners and intermediate “meditators” - all you need to partake is a body with the capacity to breathe and think (and internet connection 😊)

I find that both meditation and nature inspires and helps me to be present. And being able to feel present is so important in times when the outside world is in chaos.

#PRSNT WOMENS ADVENTURE RETREATS

A combination of split boarding & back country skiing, outdoor climbing, yoga, meditation, SUP (stand up paddle board), arctic surfing, arts & crafts, fjord skinny dipping followed by traditional Norwegian wood sauna, chef prepared food, stress management seminar, PRSNTfit functional movement classes and so much more.

LOOSE YOURSELF

FINDING MY INNER ZEN IN THE WOODS OF COLORADO CAPTURED BY ALI VAGNINI FOR ZEAL OPTICS

Ever thought about the concept of what would happen if rather than trying to find yourself, you completely let go and allowed to loose yourself? The practice of NOT trying to find myself feels strange and challenging, but to be honest; to completely be comfortable with not knowing who I am is the most liberating thing i’v ever felt. It’s even more liberating than hitting a 80 foot jump on a snowboard, flying through the air (this can be scary too but most of the time liberating 😊)With this approach to life, I am realizing that my expectations around who I should be is disappearing. Even other people’s expectations are disappearing, as they were only illusions of a limited mind anyways. What is left is just me. Exactly what I was looking for in the first place. It’s my Being. Not defined. Not categorized. When we give up trying to define our selfs, we open up space for our Being to come to life. Additionally, we open up space for others to be just them selfs too. Pure consciousness without labels, makeup, fancy clothes or gold medals. It’s life itself and here in the PRSNT moment we are always enough 

MOVING MEDITATION

SWIMMING CAN BE A GREAT MOVING MEDITATION

P: @chanellesladics

What is your relationship with the #PRSNT moment? Every day I do 2 x 20 minutes meditation sessions but to be fully transparent, some days it can be challenging to find space and time to practice. This especially happens when family is around or I have a long “to do list” or if I am really stressed out. With that said, I know how beneficial a consistent meditation practice is, so rather than getting frustrated when I can’t do my regular practice, [or skipping the meditation] i’v learned to find a way to flex and flow with what er is going on around me. One solution that I absolutely love is to practice #movingmeditation 🏊‍♀️ This style of meditation can be integrated into activities like for example running, swimming and snowboarding. In fact, you might even feel like you have been meditating while immersed in these activities. The reason for this is that when we connect with our bodies and breath, we naturally become a part of the #PRSNTmoment, because the body and our breath is always present.

RUNNING, TUNING INTO THE BREATH AS A MOVING MEDITATION

When we systematically apply a technique of breath awareness to an activity, we draw the attention of our minds into the moment and practice what is called a moving meditation. It’s similar to when you just get “lost” in the activity but with an added layer of mindfulness. The result is a strengthened capacity to return to the #prsnt moment - In day to day life, when stressful situations arise, this is a great tool to have in your tool belt. Did you know that fear can’t live in the present moment? The ego, who is is responsible for triggering fear, pain, disappointment and so on, can’t survive in the now. That’s why, when we draw our attention into the #PRSNT moment, we feel so good. We become free from the ego and feel love, fulfillment and bubbling positive vibrations 🙏🏻

Break bad habits with movement

Finding a good balance in your work day can be a big challenge. When I get stuck in front of the computer for too long, staring at the screen with bad posture, I find that I get tunnel vision and lose touch with myself

Climbing fuels my soul, gets me focused and opens my creative channels

Sitting in front of the computer for to long, usually involves lots of "hunching" and bad posture.  You can notice that your posture will be more and more "closed up" the more you sit in the "computer position". Standing once in a while can do wonders, preferably using a standing desk. 

To break up my day from sitting still too long and to get a different perspective, I like to go for a run or do some kind of physical activity, preferably outside, but anything goes in a hectic work day. Being a professional athlete competing for over 18 years, has thought me that repetition over time, helps you attract those results. The results can be positive or negative for the body and the mind, all depending on what it is that you are repeating. Therefor, it is smart to make sure that you adapt and repeat those healthy habits and lifestyle into your "every day".

In order to reopen my posture and connect with my heart chakra I do opposite movements of what I would do in front of the computer. I practice some form of yoga everyday. Yoga is a great activity to break up a work day when you spend a lot of time sitting still. It´s one of my favorite forms of movement to keep in touch with my body, mind and spirit.

The past years I have gotten pretty found of climbing and to improve my techniqueI like to integrate hand and finger exercises into my day to day life. Taking 10 minutes to stand up and give some attention to my hands can both help my climbing and save me from adapting negative patterns that again can lead to dis-ease further down the line.  

Climbing is an easy activity that everyone can do and it does not require a lot of equipment, especially if you are bouldering. If I dont have access to an easy outdoor climbing spot, I go to a climbing gym near me and do a 45 min session. It is amazing how much more clarity, focus and creativity I have when I come back to my work space. 

SALAD WITH SWEET POTATOE STRIPS

Eating healthy trough out the day really helps me stay focused and provides me with the energy I need to endure through the day. Getting up from chair to make meals, helps me break up my work day. It also gives me credits towards my daily standing goal witch is 12 hours each day. It mights sound silly to have a standing goal, but it´s touch on the hip flexors to sit for long periods of time. It also is contributing towards my goal of being the best version of myself. I like to make smoothie bowls, salads with goodies from the garden, yummy vegetable pasta & eggs with avocado & sourdough bread from a local bakery (the real sourdough)

I have started using a watch to help remind me to get up and break away from creating bad habits and patterns. It also tells me to take a minute to breathe. As I am typing this, my clock just told me to get up and move. I guess technology can be used as a crutch or as a tool, all depending on your awareness around it :)